It is generally known and accepted that within most commercial business establishments, employees on the job tend to carry their personal cell phones, smartphones or personal communication devices with them at all times. Technological innovation has fundamentally changed the way society lives and communicates. Advances in internet speed and connection capability combined with smart phone functionality and availability offers society newfound freedom to expand and new perspectives of the world and connect with the information that is so readily available.
The unintended side effect of this new freedom and ready access to knowledge is the increased likelihood of distraction and reduced productivity as the power and capabilities of smart electronic devices have tended to seduce and blur the lines between professional and personal instant communication arenas. Unwarranted distraction on the job has merely been redressed and accepted as common multitasking in the new and current age of social multi-media digital communication.
A series of recent studies suggest that in the United States, approximately 77 percent or 7 out of 10 Americans currently use social media. On average, research results suggest that people tend to check their cell phones approximately 110 times per day. The total average time spent per day using a mobile communication device is estimated at approximately 3 hours 15 minutes.
A known problem related to these findings exists in the fields of business and industry. Employers who have employees that rely on nearly continuous streams of outside personal communication through their personal cell phones and electronic devices represent a significant loss of productivity within their businesses operations. The impact on employee productivity and the resulting costs to businesses can rapidly add up over time and as the number of employees increase.
As an example of the cost of employee distraction, another recent study suggests that on average 83 percent of workers maintain their smart phones within an arm's reach or within eye contact during their work day. Two thirds of workers use their smart phones at least several times each day during work periods. 75 percent of employers have estimated that on average, two hours of each day are lost because of worker distraction related to, for example, random snack breaks, personal gossip, noisy co-workers and especially personal communication devices. This is largely because personal communication devices are typically within constant reach and remain accessible for immediate attention by employees for personal electronic communications. Therefore, it is further estimated that up to 65 percent of the total 2 hours previously referred to, or approximately 78 minutes of company work time are spent on personal cell phone calls and text messaging alone.
Combating cell phone abuse in the workplace is not a simple task. Cell phone use has become a widely accepted norm within most workplaces. Employers need to identify and dedicate both company resources and time to develop clear and acceptable cell phone policy and rules in the workplace. This further includes additional resources and effort expended in an ongoing basis among their workforce to constantly monitor and enforce any company policies and rules set in place. None of these resources or efforts should be dismissed as being cost or time free. The likely total of additional costs goes well beyond that of employee wages, lost time, and reduced productivity. It is estimated that about 75 percent of employers have taken at least some proactive steps to help reduce cell phone distraction in the workplace, with nearly 26 percent simply banning the use of personal cell phones for example in the workplace during company time. Again, fair and reasonable enforcement of such policies can become a source of negative controversy and distraction in and of itself within any organization.
While employee time tracking systems have constantly evolved through history, few if any have addressed the unique and somewhat technologically recent problem of employee distraction from personal communication devices. For example, one name brand product available on the market is Safescan. Safescan is an electronic employee clock-in system that offers the latest in radio frequency identification (RFID) proximity and biometric technology along with a proprietary time management computer software allowing employers to hopefully and more effectively manage and track their workforce activity. This system further includes office building or factory access door sensors, WIFI interfaces, and finger print ID technology to help ensure accuracy of employee on-duty work periods. The Safescan system can store up to 100,000 timestamp records for up to 3000 users per address site installation at an approximate base cost of $700.
With another name brand example, an employee time clock application offered by Tanda for cell phones and mobile devices offers a somewhat reliable method to track and monitor employee time and attendance. The product includes a wall mounted electronic keypad and display device and portable software application. The Tanda software application can be downloaded onto most any commercially available employee mobile communications device. It further includes some multiple failsafe aspects including custom employee personal identification numbers (PIN) and photo identification verified clock-in procedures and methods. Additionally and as an added benefit, employers can also use the application to electronically communicate with staff and assign work tasks via SMS and live on-screen updates. The Tanda product application offers the capacity to handle up to 2500 employees, auto populating of time sheets and monthly subscription payment options electronically billed to the employer or business.
Yet another currently available name brand product is offered by ChargeTech. ChargeTech is essentially a simple cell phone charging storage locker that allows any user or company employee to securely and safely store and charge their cell phone. Each discrete storage bay locker has its own lockable access door while the bay itself offers two full-speed power sources for multi-device charging. Each discrete storage bay can only be accessed with a confidential and uniquely pre-assigned PIN code supplied to the user. Each locker bay door includes its own individual keypad at the outer front face of the door of each locker compartment for securing each cell phone for individual access. The ChargeTech cell phone locker cabinet further provides cell phone charging and security for up to 2500 employees, auto populating of time sheets, and costs about $1250 per single base unit installation.